[MSN] The Culture and Tourism Ministry released an inventory list of hundreds of artifacts that were stolen from museums or archeological sites throughout Turkey

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

Culture and Tourism Ministry chases stolen artifacts
Monday, May 15, 2006

ANKARA - Turkish Daily News


  The Culture and Tourism Ministry released an inventory list of hundreds of
artifacts that were stolen from museums or archeological sites throughout
Turkey. 

  Handwritten books constitute most of the stolen pieces, which range from
the prehistoric period to the Ottoman era. 

  According to information compiled by the Anatolia news agency from the
Culture and Tourism Ministry's Web site, some of the artifacts were even
stolen from collectors, tombs and libraries, objects for smugglers despite
protective and security measures in some cases. 

  The most prominent theft occurred at the Yusuf Ağa Manuscript Library in
Konya in 2000. One-hundred twenty-eight books including one written in the
Turkish-Urduca language and some others in Arabic were stolen from the
library, from which another seven books printed in Arabic, including books
by İbn Sina and Katip Çelebi, were stolen on different dates. 

  Four manuscripts, including three Arabic books dating back to 12th century
and some parts of the book "Nakdü'd dürer fi şerhi'l-gurer" by Vankulu
Mehmed Efendi, dating back to 10th Century, were stolen from the Akseki
Yeğen Mehmet Paşa Library in Antalya. 

  Among other stolen artifacts: 

  * One Ostotek-type white marble and one Balbat-shaped marble tombstone
from Milet Museum in Aydın, 

  * Nine Korans from the Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Efendi collection at the
Süleymaniye Library in Istanbul, 

  * Nine books from the Istanbul Haci Selim Ağa Library, 

  * 62 Bindings from the Yusuf Ağa Library in Konya, 

  * 53 coins and one seal stolen from the Ayfer Çakan collection, 

  * Orhangazi Tomb's sarcophagus cover, 

  * Decorated head and legs of the fountain located in the Sakıp Sabancı
Museum's garden in Istanbul.

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=43238